Protest is a fashion-oriented sportswear brand from The Netherlands. The brand was founded in 1993 by a group of Dutch snowboarders. Protest is intended for any novice or professional boarder, skier or surfer who want to have fun on the slopes or in the water.
The internet is limitless which is why Protest does not limit their webshop to the Dutch market only: customers from 16 different European countries can make online Protest purchases. The company continues to work hard to achieve its international online success. The way customers want to make payments plays an important role in this. Tom: "Every country has different payment needs. That’s why we closely look at payment methods and how they match with our customers. In one country, customers prefer to pay via local payment methods. Customer in Poland prefer paying with Przelewy24, while in Germany the demand for bank transfers is high. Other countries prefer payments via iDEAL, credit card or post-payment methods such as Klarna."
In the world of e-commerce and online payments, there are also rules around providing payment methods. When a webshop wants to add online payment methods, a contract with an acquirer is required. An acquirer is a financial institution that processes credit and debit card payments.
Because the need for specific payment methods differ considerably from country to country, it is important for Protest to meet these requirements at an international level as well. With the planned expansion, the company faced a shortcoming while it worked with their previous payment provider. "The Payment Service Provider we previously worked with had all kinds of separate contracts with different acquirers that were not bundled into one package. With our international goals, that’s not very convenient which is why we are very happy with PAY," Tom says. "On top of that, you have the no-nonsense mentality and short communication lines which are perfect ingredients for an ideal collaboration."
PAY. has an acquirer license for iDEAL and Bancontact which enables PAY. to collect and facilitate online payments for these payment methods to its customers directly, without an intermediary. The result: a faster, more efficient and more stable payment process for entrepreneurs working with PAY. Tom agrees: "With our international goals that’s a whole lot less to worry about".
International success formula may differ per e-commerce company. Still, there is a line to draw when it comes to the retail sector: respond to different payment needs and, in addition to your online webshop, do not forget to lose sight of retailers and marketplaces. Protest knows this all too well. According to Tom, online webshops and retailers can’t exist or live without each other: "We desperately need each other to offer a wide and varied range of services to customers. In addition, it is important that Protest becomes visible and available at the right time in the customer journey."
When asked whether there are any plans for the future, Tom replies: "The United States is a very large new market, so many new opportunities await us! We are confident that with PAY. we will effortlessly achieve our international goals."
